Who's Who at the Brewer's Plate 2011

This image is what I see most mornings when I pop off the train to pick up a nub of cheese at the Fair Food Farmstand in Reading Terminal Market. The Market is an old train station, and in it, this stand is the nexus of local food.

On March 13, the stand hosts its biggest fundraising smash, Brewer’s Plate – a feast of local beer and grub, the best Philly has to offer within 150 miles. You can meet me there (it's at the Penn Museum). And meet the local cheese intelligensia. Here’s a little primer, for all you red-carpet dairy dreamers.

Cheesemonger Paul Lawler will no doubt wearing a smart suit. Paul, pictured below, is the most knowledgeable person I know about local cheese. Last summer, we drank whey together (a heinous experience; sorry, Paul) while he was “babysitting” Keswick Creamery.

Look for the fashionable folks from Doe Run Dairy (cheesemakers from the Urban Outfitters empire). Paul Lawler tells me, “I am SO psyched to see what mixed milk robiola-esque cheese they will bring!”

You can also meet veteran cheesemaker Sue Miller, maker of Birchrun Blue, along with the much-lauded Jonathan and Nina White form Bobolink Dairy – one-time cheesemakers to the White House.

So, if your Oscar party is a letdown and you want a little red carpet action with the guys from the dairy case, get in on the sizzle. And the oysters. And the snifters of Root.

I’ll be in the Speakeasy, munching Bobolink. Let’s find each other and talk rennet.

Free Beer'n Cheese Pre-Party, March 4

Stop by the Farmstand on Friday between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. for a taste of what the Brewer's Plate will bring. The Foodery will offer local beer and Paul Lawler will let you nibble wheels of Bobolink Drumm, Valley Shepard Fairmount, and Keswick Tommenator.

A Tres Leches Tasting and More

For this month’s cheese tasting at Quince, we're planning a tasting of three milks (or tres leches): goat, cow, and sheep. What distinguishes each one? What constitutes an ideal pairing? I'll talk about the traits of all three and walk you through a 3-course tasting.

Come join us on Saturday, February 26, 2011 at 4 p.m. As always, tastings are held at Quince Fine Foods, a small shop near my house in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. We roll out the cheeses Slow Food-style, one at a time with accompaniments. The last selection comes with a complimentary beverage.

Come join us and meet other cheese lovers! Seating is limited to twelve, so please reserve in advance by calling or emailing the shop: (215) 232-3425 or quince@quincefinefoods.com

Tastings cost $12. All proceeds go to the store.

Next month: It's not too early to sign up for the March 26 cheese tasting at Quince. We've paired up with New Holland Brewing from Michigan for a tasting of cheese and craft beer. Come join us for a sip of Dragon's Milk.

Other Tastings around Philadelphia: Don't forget that it's still Winnimere season. The Garces Trading Company hosts a beer and cheese class with Philadelphia Brewing Company and the Cellars at Jasper Hill (the makers of Winnimere) on March 1 ($65). Reservations required.

Di Bruno Bros. offers a series of special Winnimere tastings coming up in March -- the store has ordered an unusual batch of this washed-rind cheese to be washed in Root, a local spirit. Here are the deets on those three tastings, which are free and open to the public:

Di Brun Bros. 9^th Street , March 5, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Di Bruno Bros. Center City, March 6, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Ardmore Farmers’ Market, April 9, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Madame Fromage's Mission?

I've been working on a mission statement. I thought I'd run it by you. Any suggestions, my darlings?

Hi, I'm Tenaya Darlington. I started this blog in 2009 to document my love affair with strong cheese. My goal is to help the dairy curious become more adventurous. Ever tried Stichelton? It's one of my faves.

I'm obsessed with photographing cheese, meeting dairy farmers, interviewing cheesemongers, pairing cheese, and introducing my friends to new bold beauties. I'm on the faculty at Saint Joseph's University, where Food Writing is my most popular class. Before I moved to Philadelphia, I was the Features Editor at Isthmus Newspaper in Madison, Wisconsin. There, I learned about the beauty of artisanal foods.

This blog has helped me find community in a city that once appeared vast to me. In my neighborhood, I host monthly tastings at Quince, a local cheese shop. I also write a "Local Cheese" column for Grid Magazine. Best of all, I blog biweekly for the city's largest cheese counter, Di Bruno Bros. They pay me to write about cheese!

The name "Madame Fromage" was inspired by a poetry collection I wrote in 2000, calledMadame Deluxe. I loved wearing velvet gloves to my readings. I couldn't retire them. So, Madame rose again. I also have a novel, Maybe Baby. Alas, neither book mentions cheese.

My blog is designed to be a gateway into dairy lovin' and dairy literacy. I hope you feel welcome here. If you have a question, feel free to drop me a line. If you like what you see, you can find Madame Fromage on Facebook, Flickr and Twitter (mmefromage is my handle).

Thanks for your curiosity.

Cheese O’clock: Breaking Dairy News

Yes, that’s a cheese Swatch. Imagine my delight upon seeing it in the window of the Swatch store in Washington D.C.’s Union Station. It makes staying on time a pleasure, but my stomach growls every time I look at it. If you need a cheesy toast watch of your own, you can check them out here.

Now, for some local updates:

Au Revoir, Amazing Acres

One of my favorite goat cheesemakers, Debbie Mikulak, is retiring to Maine with her partner, Fred. That means no more Sea Smoke, a bloomy gem that has garnered press and praise across Pennsylvania’s dairyland. Get your last fix before March 15 (try DiBruno Bros. and Fair Food Farmstand), and if you know anyone who wants to buy a Chester County goat dairy with a beautiful cheese room…

Yellow Springs CSA

Forty slots are open for 40 goat cheese lovers. Check out the Yellow Springs website if you want to sign up for award-winning cheese from one of Chester County’s most decorated cheesemakers. I wrote about my visit to Yellow Springs a few weeks ago and highlighted one of their cheeses, Nutcracker, in the current issue of Grid Magazine. If you live in Philly proper, you can pay extra for delivery through Panache, a company that delivers organic produce. Click here to register for the CSA.

Bobolink at the Farmstand

Cheesemonger Paul Lawler sends word of his new dairy case princess, Bobolink cheese. This is the first time that cheese from this much-lauded dairy will be retailed in Philly (woot, go Paul!).

Paul writes, “I don't mean to be all star-struck, but well, I kind of am. Jonathan [White] was one of the very first on the east coast to really put fully grass fed dairy on the map, - supplying...the Clinton White house (where he taught the kitchen to make mozzarella).” Stop by the Fair Food Farmstand this weekend for a wedge.

Secret Winnimere Stash at DiBruno’s

Hot scoop from the cave at DiBruno Bros.: the store has a secret supply of Winnimere that’s being washed in Root, a local liqeuer. It should be coming in from the Cellars at Jasper Hill in late February. Winnimere is a Vacherin-style cheese (read: oozy). Gorgeous. I want a Winnimere Swatch.

Clipped from: www.culturecheesemag.com (share this clip)

Three Winnimere tastings are scheduled in conjunction with the folks from Root:

Di Brun Bros. 9^th Street , March 5, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Di Bruno Bros. Center City, March 6, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Ardmore Farmers’ Market, April 9, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Cheesemonger+Restaurant 943

Ian Peacock, a.k.a. Mr. Fiore Sardo over at Di Bruno Bros. (9^th Street), is making morcilla and blood sausage at his new restaurant in the Italian Market, 943 South 9^th Street. He’s a partner in the city’s first Latin-Italian meat laboratory. Given that he’s a longtime DB’s monger, you can be sure he’s serving up some pretty wicked cheese, too. The restaurant opened last week and is slated to start serving brunch, in addition to lunch y dinner.

Brewer’s Plate

Last but not least, don't forget to mark Sunday, March 13 on your calendar for the city of Philadelphia's best craft ale and local foods dinner party. Tickets are still available, and Yours Truly is on board for some cheese cutting. Stop by, and I'll blow you a kiss.

The Vegas Showgirl of Cheese Plates

Farmhouse Platter, Southwark

No, this is not a feather headpiece. It’s Southwark’s Farmhouse Platter, the second stop on my Tour of Philadelphia Cheese Plates, sponsored by Philly Homegrown. (I sniff out the cheese, and PH picks up the bill.)

Southwark, 701 S. 4th Street, excels at presentation. This homey South Philly restaurant is known for its beautiful mahogany bar, perfect cocktails, and stunning farm-to-table menus. One menu staple: the Farmhouse Platter. 

For $15, this snack plate may be the best deal in the city. You get to sample four artisanal cheeses, an array of house-made charcuterie, plus a hefty helping of olives, fruit, and toasted nuts (filberts, almonds, and pine nuts). With a beer and an appetizer from the main menu, you can make a meal of it.

A pint of Allagash White pairs perfectly – this was the recommendation of Chef Nick Macri, who spirited this work of art to my table last Sunday when I stopped in for a nibble and sip. 

Cheese Plate Blue Prints

Cheeses: Doe Run’s Seven Sisters (PA), Pennsylvania Noble (PA), Anton’s Red Love (Germany), Point Reyes Blue (CA)

Housemade Charcuterie: lomo, duck prosciutto, and rabbit paté with coarse mustard and rustic bread made from locally milled wheat

This is a remarkable cheese plate, and here’s why: the cheeses are perfectly presented at room temperature, and the selections are eclectic. Although flavors collide on this jam-packed platter, you can move from mellow to pungent and snack on palate-cleansing apple fans between bites.

Doe Run's Seven Sisters is buttery and mild, a perfect place to begin. This is a new local cheese presented by Urban Outfitters moghul Richard Hayne, a fashion man turned country landowner who just launched his own dairy.

Pennsylvania Noble, from Green Valley Dairy in Lancaster County, is the state’s most promising clothbound cheddar. It’s crackin’ sharp -- one of my ready steadies whenever I want to impress a British cheese lover.

Anton’s Red Love, well, the name says it all. This Bavarian stinker was a great cuddle partner for the meaty nuts and olives on the plate. If you like Taleggio, this is your next love affair.

Point Reyes Blue is the ice wine of blue cheeses -- bracingly fresh. This was a great final bite after the dreamy lomo and rabit paté. The paté is exquisite, by the way -- carroty and mild. I could eat it every day for lunch.

An Appetizer Not to Be Missed

For a final hurrah, Monsieur Fromage and I tried the warm Shellbark Crottin de Chevre, a pungent cake of goat cheese from Chester County’s Pete Demchur. Demchur, a mechanic-by-day/cheesemaker-by-night, knows how to bring out the pepper. 

This cheese is so intense it will make your eyes water, but it is tamed by preserved plums, roasted radishes, and Chef Macri's bresaola. If you like robust goat cheese – and, honey, I do – this is a must-try item on your next cheese-seeking mission.

Baked Shellbark Crottin de Chevre

And Now...A Giveaway

On Friday, I'm co-hosting a Yuletide Fete of Local Cheese at the Fair Food Farmstand in Reading Terminal Market from 6:30-8 p.m. Leave a comment on my blog before 7 p.m. EST on December 7, 2010 and you'll have the chance to win a ticket ($35). I'll draw a random number and announce the winner that evening.

Cheesemonger Profile: Melanie Fortino

Official Title: Cheese Cave Team Leader

Years at Di Bruno Bros.: 2

Hometown: Philadelphia

How she got into cheese: I was a Communications major at IUP (Indiana University of Pennsylvania), then I worked for QVC -- my focus was displays. After that, I went to culinary school. I’ve worked in just about every department here at Di Bruno Bros. Until January, I worked in Center Island. That’s the center area with all the charcuterie and pastries and prepared foods. Now I am officially Cheese Cave Team Leader, not to be confused with “cheesecake team leader” – sometimes I get called that on the phone. 

To read the full profile, please visit the Di Bruno Blog.

Disclosure: This post is part of a weekly series I write for Di Bruno Bros., one of my fave cheese haunts in Philly. I choose the topics, but I get paid to guest-blog on the store's site.

Tomme de Linden Dale

This month, I wrote about Tomme de Linden Dale for my cheese column in Grid. Seeing this photo reminds me that I need to hustle down to the Rittenhouse Farmers’ Market to pick up another wheel. Cheesemaker Andrew Mellinger only sells his goat Tomme on Saturdays, and he’s got a batch of raw goat Tomme that should be available about now.

This is such a lovely cheese – it has the most divine smell, like yeast and white grapes. The taste reminds me a little bit of Ossau Iraty, a Spanish sheep cheese with the same dense paste and olivey, nutty notes. Tomme de Linden Dale is fruitier, though, which makes it a beautiful cheese for serving alongside Asian pears.

I happen to love the hand-drawn label on this cheese – a wise, old goat wearing a monocle. I’m guessing it was sketched by one of Mellinger’s six children. They’re all involved in the family goat farm in Ronks, PA – the same farm where Mellinger grew up. Cheese doesn’t get any more farmstead than this.

 

Linden Dale Farm is a small operation. No website. No retail outlets. If you come across a wheel at a market around Pennsylvania, nab one. It’s an undiscovered beauty, and it keeps well. I just finished the last bite this week, and I bought this wheel back in August.

If you want to check out other farmstead goat Tommes, consider Elk Mountain or Twig Farm Tomme. Both are aged goat cheeses with natural rinds. Rustic. Fabulous.